Fighting for Vocational Freedom
Lori Smith is a Certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist and horse enthusiast. She was ordered by the state of New York to cease and desist her horse massage therapy business, “Five Feathers Equine Massage.”
Uncovering Nassau County Assessment Secrets
The Government Justice Center has filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Nassau County on behalf of Mr. Duffy to grant him and other residents access to the algorithm used in determining real residential property values in the recent countywide reassessment process.
Blocking Albany’s Unconstitutional Pay Raises
The GJC has filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Albany to block unconstitutional actions by the state Committee on Legislative and Executive Compensation.
GJC Files JCOPE Complaint Against Attorney General
The Government Justice Center today filed a complaint with the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) detailing misconduct by New York State Attorney General Barbara Underwood, and Special Assistant Attorneys General Matthew Eisenson and Gavin McCabe. AG Underwood and her assistants are violating New York’s ethics law, the complaint explains, by accepting funding from […]
Uncovering Scaffold Law Data
On May 9, 2018, the Government Justice Center filed a petition on behalf of the Empire Center for Public Policy in the New York County Supreme Court in Empire Center for Public Policy, Inc. v. New York State Department of Financial Services, Index No. 154321/2018. Among other things, the Empire Center performs research and produces […]
Keeping 211 Waivers in Check
On May 4, 2018, the Government Justice Center filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the Empire Center for Public Policy in Police Benevolent Association of New York State, Inc. v. State of New York, et al., Case No. 525746 in the Third Department Appellate Division. The case relates to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) […]
Holding Warren County Accountable
In early 2017, Mr. Whitehead tried to participate in Warren County’s decision-making regarding a contract dispute with a project vendor. Mr. Whitehead had discovered issues with a geo-thermal energy project and contract between Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. and Warren County, and his efforts led to the County questioning Siemens’ performance under the contract. It hired […]
Questioning Empire State Development’s Ad Spending
Between 2011 and 2015, New York ran television ads and other advertising campaigns for programs such as Taste NY, START-UP NY and “New York State of Opportunity.” The commercials and catchphrases were developed and bought through a contract between Empire State Development (ESD) and BBDO USA LLC. On July 17, 2017, Reclaim New York (Reclaim) […]
Fight for Access to Teacher Contracts
Following several ignored Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests for teacher and superintendent contracts, the Government Justice Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Empire Center for Public Policy against Malverne Union Free School District in Nassau County on Long Island. The Empire Center, mainly through its SeeThroughNY.net database, works to give New Yorkers […]
Challenging Illegal Fees
For several years, Long Island’s Suffolk County has avoided raising general fund taxes by imposing new or increased fees on certain residents. In October 2017, the Government Justice Center, an Albany-based public interest legal center, filed a lawsuit in the state Supreme Court to put an end to the illegal practice of raising general revenue […]